ANALYSIS: The truth about the Kansas Republican women switching parties

In recent days 3 legislators and one soon to be former legislator announced that they either have switched, or will be switching their political affiliation from the Republican to the Democrat Party. All are from Johnson County and all are women so the media has been falling all over themselves to spread the current revealed wisdom on the left that Republicans have “lost” suburban women.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, at least in these cases, that’s not true. Indeed, when one actually looks at these four women, these changes will, for the most part, make the legislature more conservative, not less – if it makes any difference at all.

Joy Koesten, once a Democrat then Republican and now Democrat again..

Let’s take a look. The first legislator we’ll discuss is Joy Koesten. Joy was a Democrat who changed to being a Republican specifically to run for the legislature in Leawood. She won, spent one term in the house and was defeated in the primary for a second term by solid conservative Kellie Warren. Within a few months of losing she once again announced that she was switching back to being a Democrat. In essence, Republicans lost nothing and, Koesten’s seat is now in conservative hands. Plus one for conservatives.

The legislator launching this mythical “trend” is Barbara Bollier, a Senator from Mission Hills. Bollier was a member of the antiquated country club Republican set that has been on the wane since the mid 90’s owing to the impact of David Miller’s organizing of religious conservatives. However, it largely retained its hold in the eastern Johnson County area of Prairie Village and Mission Hills with a loose knit coalition of Democrats and left-leaning Republicans.

Bollier however has been far from a traditional Republican. In the Senate, she has often caucused with Democrats. Worse yet, during the past legislative session Bollier embarrassingly stood in the well of the Senate to denounce Catholics (and by extension all Christians) who believe in sin as being unfit to place children for adoption.

Bollier followed that with endorsements of Democrat Tom Niermann in his party’s Congressional primary and then joined with the traditional group of “Republicans for (insert name of Democrat here)” in endorsing Democrat gubernatorial candidate Laura Kelly in the general election.

Bollier was stripped of her leadership position on a key Senate healthcare committee as a result of the Niermann endorsement and, by August, Senate Republicans were exploring options to oust her from the Senate completely.

If her party’s open hostility towards her was not sufficient motivation to leave, certainly the defeat of fellow liberal “Republican” Representative Melissa Rooker to Democrat Rui Xu should have provided the final impetus to go. Rooker’s House District 25 is virtually contained within the core of Bollier’s Senate District 7.

That said, according to Bollier, the final straw was the Republican Party’s official position in its platform that there are only two genders, male and female. Fortunately for Bollier, most in the media broadened her statement to make it include a more generalized support for the LGBTQ agenda.

While Democrat legislative leaders rushed to embrace Bollier, giving her a plum committee assignment, her newly found comrades on Twitter were less than generous. To them her previous decisions, including those on education, were too conservative. However, more ominous is the fact that her district, like Rooker’s, is in the heart of Johnson County’s looney left area. There, Mission City Council member Sollie Flora declared at a recent conference on climate change that “one of the most powerful solutions to reverse global warming” was “Smashing the patriarchy…” and no, I’m not kidding. Expect a Democrat primary challenger in Senate District 7 next time around.

As for the final two, Senator Dinah Sykes and Representative Stephanie Clayton, again, their switch changes nothing. Their change does not alter Republicans’ majority in either the House or the Senate, nor will it alter the ideological makeup of the legislature.

If anything, Clayton, who runs at about 20% on measures of traditional Republican ideology, and Sykes, who usually polls in single digits, may have to swing somewhat to the right in order to mollify former Republican constituents in their districts if they’re to be re-elected.

So, we have three women, who falsely held themselves out as Republicans in order to win election, who are now being truthful about their true proclivities given the changing realities of Johnson County. One of them has already been defeated by a conservative.

Then we have the trendsetting dinosaur, Bollier. She was an embarrassment to Republicans and will very likely share Melissa Rooker’s fate of not being pure enough for her district’s looney left majority.

Bottom line, plus one for conservatives, fewer embarrassments for Republicans, no other changes ideologically and a kooky political dinosaur continues to stand in the way of true “progressives” in Johnson County’s looney northeast.

Is Johnson County becoming more of a swing county? Yes. But will these four change anything? Not in the foreseeable future.

However, over time, the area has been moving increasingly into the Democrat column, owing to Wyandotte County Democrats moving south into eastern Johnson County and an influx of younger and more liberal professionals pushing local politicians further to the left.

Upcoming Events

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October 26 (Friday) - March 10 (Sunday)

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Nelson-Atkins

4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO

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Napoleon: Power and Splendor marks the first exploration of the majesty and the artistic, political and ideological significance of Napoleon’s imperial court from Napoleon’s self-appointment as First Consul in 1799

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Napoleon: Power and Splendor marks the first exploration of the majesty and the artistic, political and ideological significance of Napoleon’s imperial court from Napoleon’s self-appointment as First Consul in 1799 to his abdication in 1814. The Imperial Household was a key institution during Napoleon’s reign. It was responsible for the daily lives of the Imperial family and the day-to-day existence of former general Bonaparte, who became Emperor Napoleon.

The exhibition aims to re-create the ambiance and capture the spirit that prevailed in the French court during the Empire. A selection of works, most of which have never before been exhibited in North America, will reveal the power and splendor of the Imperial Household and its role in fashioning a monarchic identity for the new emperor, his family and loyal entourage.

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If you are new to homeschooling, a well-seasoned veteran, or still on the fence trying to decide what direction is best for your family, we would love to have you

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If you are new to homeschooling, a well-seasoned veteran, or still on the fence trying to decide what direction is best for your family, we would love to have you join us for an information meeting. We have programs available starting at four years of age through high school. At the information meeting, we will be sharing with you about the Christian, classical, and community model that is Classical Conversations. There will be plenty of time for you to ask any questions you might have and also an opportunity to look through some of the curricula we use. Please come join us no matter your level of interest. We would love the opportunity to share with you what has been such a great blessing to our own families. Please RSVP via through the website under the events tab. It is okay to RSVP even if it’s an hour before the meeting. When you RSVP we’ll give you directions on where to enter the building. See you soon!

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(Tuesday) 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

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Deerbrook Covenant Church

200 NE Tudor Road, Lee's Summit, MO 64086

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Fear-Not is a Christ-Centered Support Group for Anxiety and Depression.
We are using material based on the Christian 12 Steps; Serenity Prayer also Anxiety Centre
http://www.anxietycentre.com/
also "The Anxiety/Phobia Workbook" by Edmund Bourne.

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Fear-Not is a Christ-Centered Support Group for Anxiety and Depression.
We are using material based on the Christian 12 Steps; Serenity Prayer also Anxiety Centre

http://www.anxietycentre.com/

also “The Anxiety/Phobia Workbook” by Edmund Bourne. (probably find at the library or on sale online) We have a Yahoo Group (link below) you can join…there is a lot of information in the folders on stress and anxiety… Group home page:

Just stay calm….you are not losing your mind…you are just under a lot of stress….so no big surprise that you are having an emotional reaction that seems very strong….your body is sending you a message “I am on overload”…warning, warning be wise and heed the warning. I was in the deepest miry pit imaginable…and if the Lord can bring me out, I know He can also help others who are struggling.

We meet on Tuesdays from 7-8:30 pm each week. Email fear-not@att.net for more information.

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Amidst a culture shifting like the tide, it is imperative that students are ready to defend “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

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Amidst a culture shifting like the tide, it is imperative that students are ready to defend “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). So mark your calendars for Ready, a youth conference held in Kansas City, MO on January 25-26, 2019. This conference features the following guest speakers: Sam Bierig, Brian Davis, Rechab Gray, Owen Strachan, and Jared C. Wilson.

An additional concert with nobigdyl. will be held on January 25. Concert tickets are included in conference registration or can be purchased separately.

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nobigdyl. is an independent hip-hop artist from Nashville, TN. He released his debut album Canopy, which reached #7 on iTunes Hip-Hop Charts, in February 2017. The album was met with

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nobigdyl. is an independent hip-hop artist from Nashville, TN. He released his debut album Canopy, which reached #7 on iTunes Hip-Hop Charts, in February 2017. The album was met with high praise, with the debut single Purple Dinosaur’s video being featured this summer in Journey’s stores across the U.S. He has since released a stand-alone single, Shakira, with Marty of Social Club, whose video has garnered 100,000 views in the first month. As the founding member of indie tribe., a collective of artists independent of mainstream ideals, he seeks to light up the darkness through music. $20 concert only.

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Come for a quiet, relaxing day of encouragement in the middle of the school year! These special retreats are open for all homeschool moms (or those interested in homeschooling). Light

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Come for a quiet, relaxing day of encouragement in the middle of the school year! These special retreats are open for all homeschool moms (or those interested in homeschooling). Light breakfast refreshments, hot drinks, and a beautiful, delicious catered lunch will indulge you as you glean wisdom from God’s word through speaker sessions and visiting with other homeschool moms. The Midwest Parent Educators (MPE) homeschool organization is hosting the annual Women’s Encouragement Day

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Shen Yun invites you to travel back to the magical world of ancient China. Experience a lost culture through the breathtaking art of classical Chinese dance, and see legends

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Shen Yun invites you to travel back to the magical world of ancient China. Experience a lost culture through the breathtaking art of classical Chinese dance, and see legends come to life. Shen Yun pushes the boundaries of the performing arts to make this possible, with a unique blend of colorful costuming, high-tech backdrops, and live orchestra. Be prepared for a theater experience like no other.

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Join Jackson County Historical Society on Holocaust Remembrance Day for a screening of Big Sonia.
Standing tall at 4’8″, Sonia is one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors in Kansas City

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Join Jackson County Historical Society on Holocaust Remembrance Day for a screening of Big Sonia.

Standing tall at 4’8″, Sonia is one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors in Kansas City and one of the only survivors there who speaks publicly about her wartime experience. Sonia’s enormous personality and fragile frame mask the horrors she endured. At 15 she watched her mother disappear behind gas chamber doors. Sonia’s teenage years were a blur of concentration camps and death marches. On liberation day, she was accidentally shot through the chest, yet again miraculously survived. Sonia is the ultimate survivor, a bridge between cultures and generations. Her story must never be forgotten.